Apr. 1—MOULTRIE — Candidates seeking to replace a retiring Superior Court judge made their cases at a forum Tuesday.

Judge Richard M. Cowart announced in January that he would not seek re-election, and two Valdosta attorneys have qualified for his seat: Jeremy Baker, the Valdosta Municipal Court judge, and William Whitesell, an attorney and owner of the William Long Whitesell, LLC law firm in Valdosta.

The forum was sponsored by the Democratic Party of Colquitt County, although the judgeship race is nonpartisan.

Shirley Hampton, president of the local Democratic Party, and forum moderator Sebrene Key led the ceremony. Four party members — Michael Harrison, David Pittman, Barbara Stewart and Joy Webb — asked questions of the candidates.

In opening remarks, Baker told about going to law school and then working for the Southern Judicial Circuit.

“As a district attorney for the Southern Judicial Circuit, I made it my job and my mission to serve those who did not have a voice,” he said.

He said that after eight years at the district attorney’s office, he went into corporate law and estate litigation with the same mentality, which was to serve the community. From there, he said, he had the opportunity to become the Municipal Court judge for the City of Valdosta.

Baker said that his job as Municipal Court judge is to make sure that everyone has equal justice under the law and to serve on the bench with humility, with compassion when needed, and most of all, to make sure that everyone is treated with respect and everyone is under the same rules of law.

“If I were to be elected as your Superior Court judge for the Southern Judicial Circuit, I will make sure to carry those same tenets of service, humility and compassion, as well,” he finished.

Next, Whitesell told about growing up in Valdosta. He said, like Baker, service had always been a big part of his life. He returned to Valdosta after being away for seven years of college and law school.

“From there, I served as the law clerk and then the staff attorney for the judge who’s retiring and another judge who has since passed away. So, I was Judge Cowart and Judge McLane’s law clerk and then their staff attorney until my job started at a firm called Young, Thagard,” he said.

Then, 20 years ago, he said, he started his own private practice from scratch and has built it up since then.

Whitesell said that, along with serving as president of the Boy Scouts South Georgia Council, he also serves on the Scintilla Charter School board with Baker; the Partnership Help board, which provides medical care for the uninsured; and the Humane Society Board of Valdosta.

“So, I believe in service and the motto at my college is, ‘While we live, we serve’ and that’s how I try to live my life,” he said.

Here are three of the questions that were asked by the panel, and the candidate’s responses.

“What influenced your decision to seek the district superior court judge position?”

Whitesell: “When I was the law clerk for the two Superior Court judges in Lowndes County — back then, there were only four Superior Court judges in the circuit, two in Lowndes, one in Colquitt and one in Thomas. … I grew-up two doors down from Judge Cowart and about eight doors down from Judge McLane. They’ve always been mentors to me. They were fantastic judges, which Judge Cowart still is and Judge McLane, we lost about year and a half ago or so. … Their professionalism, their respect and professionalism to lawyers and to law enforcement and to the citizenry. … I believe just that. That mentor process that they set-up, back then, 23 years ago, has stayed with me and carried with me and that would probably be the biggest influence.”

Baker: “When I was at the DA’s office, the last four years at the district attorney’s office, I had a heavy homicide case load. Through that case load, I was prosecuting murder trials and what I noticed during those trials was that I would have a two or three-day homicide case with one young man killing another young man. … I kept thinking, ‘There’s something more. I gotta have a bigger impact on the community because the only thing I’m seeing on my case load is young men killing other young men.’ And I started thinking, ‘How can I better serve the community? How can I reach these young men and women before they get involved in the judicial system?’. … So I thought and prayed about it. … And that’s when I wanted to become a Superior Court judge.”

“From a judicial standpoint, what do you feel are some of the primary issues that need to be addressed in our district?”

Whitesell: “I think, in a lot of drug cases, we’ve set up drug courts and I think there’s a real place for that and a real potential for expansion on those. I think we’re starting to realize there’s a difference in an addict versus a pusher and I think we’re gonna see that expand and I hope that will expand.”

He went on to say that, right now, the way the circuit is set up, a case can float from judge to judge. A case could go in front of one judge for a hearing and then another judge for another hearing down the road. He said the lawyers have to retell the story to each judge that the case is put before.

“So efficiency-wise, I think that we can do whole lot better with that. Instead of a judge remembering, you’re having to train a new judge, right now. So, I think there’s a place for assignment of cases, here, or at least it could be looked at.”

Baker: “The first part is mental health courts. We have mental health courts throughout the state for those individuals who have gotten in trouble but jail might not be the right place for them. They need some mental health treatments. Now, there’s a big push by the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. He’s really pushing mental health courts throughout the state. As of right now, our circuit, we don’t have mental health court.”

He said that the second part of his answer was that “you don’t quite know what you don’t know.” He said when he was in private practice at Coleman Talley Law Firm, he thought the Municipal Court judgeship operated one way and then when he got behind the bench, it was another way.

“I don’t know exactly, to give you your answer, because until I get behind the bench, there’s nothing to tell. Nothing is set in stone,” he said.

“What is a Superior Court judge’s obligation to the people?”

Baker: “I believe that the obligation to the people is not just to serve on the bench but off the bench, as well.”

He said that when serving on the bench, he thought that it was important to follow the law, be respectful of others’ time and make sure the court is efficient and be accessible, too.

He said that to serve off the bench, it’s important to find ways to give back to the community, mentioning some ways he was doing that.

“And I think it’s important that all judges do that. Give back. … I think that’s our obligation,” he said.

Whitesell: “So, obligation-wise … fairness, following the law as it is, not interpreting it. But I think something that gets missed is efficiency.”

He said that, as a business owner who started his business from scratch, he knew the value of evaluating a case and getting an order out fast.

“I think a major obligation — y’all are paying our salaries — is to be efficient. Responsible with your money. And efficiency includes time, as well,” he said.

After the questions, the candidates gave brief closing remarks.

Whitesell said, “I appreciate y’all’s consideration. I’ve got 23 years of experience in Superior Court doing civil and criminal. A market driving practice is a great thing to have to prepare you for Superior Court because whatever’s going on out there, in the world, is what you’re dealing with.”

Baker recounted a humorous story of his daughter, who’s 10 years old, putting his name in the prayer request book at this church asking for prayers that he win the election.

“It reminded me that we all need help sometimes. And we all are called to serve, as well. I’ve been fortunate to serve in a number of capacities and there’s been sometimes when I needed help,” he said.

The judge’s post will be on the nonpartisan ballot for the May 21 election. People who are not registered to vote but wish to vote in this election can register until April 22. Voters can already request an absentee ballot, but the registrar can’t send them out until April 6. In-person early voting will start April 29.